Vols turn to the junior college ranks for help at receiver

KNOXVILLE – Perhaps this spring was enough to convince Tennessee coaches that they would need more help at wide receiver in the very near future.

After seeing a young and inexperienced group over the past two months, coach Butch Jones and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni headed to Blinn (Tex.) Community College over the weekend and landed receiver Kameel Jackson for the class of 2014, multiple recruiting services have reported.

The Vols also added his teammate, wide receiver Johnathan Johnson, to the class of 2013. Tennessee has additional room in its 2013 signing class because it only signed 21 players in February (maximum of 25 per class).

Jackson (6-1, 205 pounds) originally signed with Oklahoma as a four-star prospect out of Arlington, Tex., in 2011. He transferred away from the Sooners after catching 12 passes as a freshman that season.

Johnson (5-8, 185 pounds) went to junior college straight out of high school to give him a better opportunity to land a college scholarship at a major program.

How they fit: After losing nearly 90 percent of their receiving production from 2012, it’s been a complete rebuilding job for the Vols at receiver this spring.

Pig Howard and Devrin Young are the only scholarship receivers working in the slot and Johnson will join incoming freshman Ryan Jenkins to add depth to a thin position.

Jackson is scheduled to enroll in December of 2014 and will likely be used as an outside receiver, competing with the likes of Cody Blanc, Paul Harris, Marquez North, Jason Croom, Jacob Carter and Paul Harris.